INTRODUCE YOUR BRAND

I moved to Portland from the midwest in 2007 to attend culinary school and start my career as a chef.  After spending over a decade in kitchens and realizing I had surpassed cooking 1 million eggs, I decided to reexamine what parts of the industry truly brought me joy. After 15 years of hospitality management, I recognized that the greatest rewards of my role came from supporting the personal development of my staff. Being in a position to help those around me find their confidence while also advocating for their needs was far more satisfying than anything I could present on a plate. This realization inspired me to obtain my Bachelors and Masters in Social Work from Portland State University in order to pursue a career as a mental health therapist.  I currently work in a day treatment facility with adolescents providing behavioral rehabilitation therapy full time and work with clients of all ages on evenings and weekends.  In my free time I enjoy cooking, gardening, collecting classic sci-fi literature, hunting for vintage sweaters at thrift stores, walking my pugs, floating the rivers all summer, and belting out Styx at karaoke. 

As a practitioner, my core focus is to create a space that is built on transparency, trust and integrity. I believe that growth comes from the recognition of establishing your personal values, understanding your strengths, and practicing self-reflection in a way that is grounded in kindness and accountability.  I have experience with DBT, CBT, and ACT and have worked with neurodivergent and neurotypical clients doing both individual and group therapy. I believe that each of these modalities offers beneficial exercises and concepts that can and should be personalized to fit the needs of each client in order to be trauma informed, culturally sensitive, and relevant. I want therapy to feel productive and empowering. I believe it is normal to explore what feels authentic and sustainable for each client, and I am happy to support that exploration with patience and flexibility as they discover what feels best. I want to work with clients to find interventions that feel fruitful and accessible in their daily lives. 

I understand that finding a great therapeutic fit can be a daunting task, so if you have any questions about my availability or my values and beliefs as a practitioner feel free to reach out.